Yuri Khovansky

Blogger Yuri Khovansky, who spent seven months in the pre-trial detention center on charges of justifying terrorism, gave an interview to Ksenia Sobchak for the YouTube channel “Attention: Sobchak”. Spletnik collected the brightest quotes from the interview.

About the termination of the criminal case

It’s like being reborn. Today I left the house for the first time in a few months. I’m sitting at home, playing computer games, eating homemade burgers and streaming. I try not to leave the house at all, I hate fresh air. I didn’t leave the house for a year and a half before I went to jail.

About criminal prosecution

From a legal point of view, my despicable, albeit inappropriate, yet humorous song was designated and presented to me as propaganda to justify terrorism. The problem is that in our Penal Code there are no “sarcasm”, “irony”, “post-irony”, “metamodern” etc. There are no concepts. We’ve literally had it – that’s what you say, that’s what you say. I myself have never shared extremist views. The investigation accused me of performing the song in 2018 (the song was recorded in 2012, the article in which Khovansky was convicted came out only in 2016. – Noted.), false witnesses were found.

Yuri Khovansky was detained in 2021: the blogger was accused of justifying terrorism for a song containing a line about the terrorist attack on the musical Nord-Ost in 2002. According to researchers, he sang the song in 2018, although Khovansky himself stated that he sang the song only in 2012. At that time, the second part of Article 205.2 of which he was convicted was not yet included in the Criminal Code. The blogger was threatened with up to seven years in prison, spent about a year in a pre-trial detention center. This summer, the court dismissed Khovansky’s case because the statute of limitations had expired.

On his attitude towards nationalism

I don’t really like nationalists, I’m very cosmopolitan myself. I can piss someone off somehow, but it’s completely harmless. I never wanted to hurt or offend anyone at the national level, and even argued with Tesak (Maxim Martsinkevich, known for his neo-Nazi views, caught and filmed pedophiles. – Approx. ed.). Then the people who flocked to the platform from Tesak disgusted me deeply. Then I ordered a song. I said, “So you want to laugh at Caucasians? All right, let’s laugh.”

About freedom of expression

You have to understand that 2011-2012 is the time for freedom of expression. Then the Internet checked the limits of what was allowed, there was no reaction to what happened. No one was jailed, and the humor was often different. It’s like the 90’s, which everyone now remembers with a negative. Freedom of expression is probably a good thing. But true freedom of speech, most likely we will no longer see. Not even in the USA.

About why they placed it

There are many bloggers who are less controversial than me. But the joke is that they’re all on the same wavelength: I love the good over all the bad. And I have always expressed my opinion honestly and openly, and many do not like me for it. Where can you find a more controversial blogger than me?

About creativity and flows

Creativity is something that makes money or pleases the end consumer. *** (stupid. – Approx. ed.) – that’s actually what just wastes your time. In the stream, viewers donate, watch – in any case, this is creativity.

About income from donations

I’ve been saving up for an apartment for six years. I’ve won donations for the Jacuzzi, for a previous flat, for a Range Rover – we’ve already sold it. But not for this apartment, mostly bookies.

About the conflict of parents against the backdrop of a special operation

My family is ordinary people, a little provincial, intelligent and educated. Recent events have divided their views, but I think that’s the case with many families. They took different positions and that is very sad. This happens all the time in many families. And this is surprising, because it is a family like a family. There should be no conflicts and divisions in the family.

About statements against Ivan Urgant

In an interview with Big Russian Boss, Khovansky called Urgant gay and claimed that his family was only needed for protection.

I’m not ready to answer the words in FIG! I said it because I wanted it. The mother of my woman at the time was engaged in the supply of crayfish to elite saunas and saw everything herself. I heard it from his words and I see no reason to doubt them. I can say whatever I want. This is my channel, my videos. I am responsible for important words. I can say what I want as long as people are happy.

Yuri Khovansky is a popular Russian video blogger, musician and TV producer. He gained popularity thanks to his scandalous videos, as well as game streams, including insults against popular Russian musicians (Viktor Tsoi, Mikhail Gorshenev, Noize MC and others). In 2019, the blogger also worked as an assistant to Viktor Vlasov from the LDPR party. Currently, Khovansky’s YouTube channel has around 5 million subscribers.